Lev: Super Bowl won't define Peyton Manning's legacy

The legacay of Peyton Manning (left) is secure no matter what the final score of the Super Bowl is. AP

FIVE THINGS TO WATCH

1. No. 1 vs. No. 1

Not only is this the first matchup between No. 1 seeds in five years (Indianapolis vs. New Orleans), it's the first matchup between a No. 1-ranked offense and a No. 1-ranked defense in 12 years (Oakland vs. Tampa Bay). The battle between Denver's Peyton Manning-led offense and Seattle's Pete Carroll-coached defense will be fascinating to watch. Will the Seahawks succeed in executing the game plan that worked for the Colts against the Broncos — jamming their receivers at the line to throw off Manning's timing?

2. Playing the slots

Seattle's defense is outstanding. Denver's is pretty good too. But both units are susceptible when forced to deploy nickel cornerbacks, so the slot receivers for both teams could play significant roles. Denver's Wes Welker has averaged five catches for 38 yards in two playoff games since returning from a concussion, but it wouldn't be surprising if he doubled those figures. Seattle's Percy Harvin is a potential matchup nightmare if he can make it through the game without getting hurt, a rarity this season.

3. Beast Mode vs. Pot Roast

Are any nicknames more apt than those? Seattle's Marshawn “Beast Mode” Lynch led all running backs by forcing 75 missed tackles during the regular season, according to Pro Football Focus. (Minnesota's Adrian Peterson was second with 58.) Massive defensive tackle Terrance “Pot Roast” Knighton is the fulcrum of the Broncos' run defense, which hasn't allowed more than 65 yards in any of its past three games. If the Seahawks can't run the ball effectively, their chances of winning decrease dramatically.

4. Give and take

That Colts-Broncos game we referenced earlier? Denver ended up with 429 yards — including 365 passing — and 33 points. But the Broncos turned the ball over three times, and that proved to be the difference. A sack-fumble in the second quarter produced a safety. Denver scored on four of its final six possessions — the other two ending in giveaways, including a fumble at the Indianapolis 3-yard line. Turnover margin is the one stat Carroll holds dear. His Seahawks led the league in takeaways (39) and turnover margin (plus-20) during the regular season.

5. Return policy

You can be sure that at some point this week, behind closed doors, the coaching staffs for both teams reminded their troops about Jacoby Jones' 108-yard kickoff return in Super Bowl XLVII. It was the last touchdown the Ravens would score, and they needed every point they got. Doug Baldwin's 69-yard third-quarter kickoff return was an underrated big play in Seattle's comeback victory over San Francisco in the NFC Championship Game. Five of the past seven Super Bowls have featured at least one return touchdown of a kick or interception.

MICHAEL LEV

JERSEY CITY, N.J. – The “L” in “XLVIII” stands for “legacy.” But you knew that by now.

There has been so much talk about how Super Bowl XLVIII will affect Peyton Manning's legacy that it's unavoidable — even though the word doesn't mean what people think it means.

The real definition is actually much more applicable to Manning's particular situation. A legacy is a gift passed down from one generation to the next. It's what you leave behind.

The result of this Super Bowl between Manning's high-scoring Denver Broncos and the stingy Seattle Seahawks won't determine his legacy.

For a quarterback so often linked to numbers, Manning's impact isn't so easily quantifiable. It's a product of the things he has done, the way he has done them and how he has influenced others.

“His body of work,” Broncos quarterbacks coach Greg Knapp said.

Manning has heard the legacy question since he was 25 years old, in Indianapolis, in Denver, here. By the end of this week, he finally figured out an answer because he's Peyton Manning and that's what he does.

“If I had my choice,” Manning said, “my legacy would be that I played my butt off for every team that I ever played on, I was a really good teammate and I did everything I could to win. Whatever happens along in that time is fine with me. Those are things that I care about.”

The Super Bowl could be Manning's last game. It doesn't matter. Dramatic conclusion or next chapter, win or lose, he will have made a difference.

PERFECT TEAMMATE

A photo made the rounds in December, the way photos do these days, that shows Manning sitting on a stool with his right foot in a pool.

He missed a handful of practices this season because of a sprained right ankle, but he didn't spend that time idly. While sitting on that stool by that pool, Manning studied an iPad while wearing his helmet. You know, so he could hear the plays being called in practice.

“That just shows how important it is to Peyton,” said tight end Julius Thomas, who also was rehabbing that day. “He was in there going through the calls, just to make sure he stayed mentally sharp. That's something we focus on as a team. If you can't practice that day, how are you going to improve?”

Like the word “legacy,” the phrase “he makes his teammates better” also is misconstrued. Yes, of course, Manning's quick decisions and precise passes during games make his teammates more productive. But it's the way Manning prepares every day that leaves the biggest impression.

Manning strives for perfection. Following his lead, so does everyone else. Tackle Chris Clark recalled a play against the Chargers this season that had Manning steaming on the sideline. The Broncos scored on the play.

“He's a guy that makes you want to be right,” Clark said. “You know that he's doing everything right and he's going to be accountable, so it makes you want to be accountable for everything you do, every snap.”

It's no coincidence running back Knowshon Moreno has become a more responsible player since Manning arrived. Or that Demaryius Thomas has evolved from a raw athlete into a polished receiver.

“I've just learned so much,” Thomas said. “I never knew that you could look at a safety, linebacker or defensive end and figure out what the coverage is going to be.”

Receiver Eric Decker says he watches film, studies defenses and prepares for practices and games differently than he used to — all because of Manning and his painstaking attention to detail.

Manning wants — no, needs — to know everything about everything. He will stop receivers in the locker room and ask them about a route. He'll quiz linemen about a protection.

“Usually when guys are in the locker room it's time to take a break, but his mind's always going,” guard Louis Vasquez said. “That just shows how much of a professional he is.”

Maybe Manning does all that extra-credit work because he has to. Maybe he needs to be mentally sharper because, after all the neck surgeries, he isn't what he used to be physically.

Or maybe he's just wired that way. Manning said this week he actually spends less time studying than he used to. He and wife Ashley have 21/2-year-old twins, Marshall and Mosley. He needs to carve out time for them, too.

“There was a time when I would come home from practice and I would stay up until 1, 1:30 in the morning because I had to watch all four of (the opposition's) preseason games that night,” Manning said. “I thought that if I didn't watch all four of those games, the world might come to an end the next day.”

Manning has learned to be more efficient. He has discovered new ways to maximize his time.

“Emails and texts late at night are common,” Knapp said. “He's thinking football and going through every scenario to get ready for a game.

“But that's what makes Peyton tick. That's how he gets from point A to point B. He needs that constant thought process going. That's what makes him play at a very elite level.”

BEST EVER?

No quarterback has played the position at a higher level than Manning did during the regular season. He passed for more yards and touchdowns than anyone had before. That's irrefutable.

The debate over the best quarterback of all time is much more subjective. It's hard to argue with Joe Montana, who went 4-0 in Super Bowls with 11 touchdowns passes and zero interceptions. But some will insist it's Johnny Unitas. Others choose Manning's boss and confidant, John Elway.

Elway has two Super Bowl rings. It isn't the fairest way to measure greatness — Manning's brother, Eli, also has two, and they're not in the same class — but it absolutely counts for something. A lot, actually.

Peyton Manning already is in the discussion. If he can win a second Super Bowl — combined with his enduring, undeniable regular-season excellence — he'll climb the chart. Maybe all the way to the top.

If he loses, it wouldn't be unfair to criticize him. Manning's Super Bowl record would fall to 1-2. His overall playoff record would drop to 11-12.

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